Introduction to Therapeutic Ketamine (or God in a Bottle)

Ketamine is medicine that is primarily used as a surgical anesthetic, but which also has rapid-acting antidepressant effects and visionary properties. Dr. Bennett will describe different ways of working with therapeutic ketamine, including low-dose infusions (biological approach), ketamine-facilitated psychotherapy (psychological approach), and psychedelic ketamine journeys (shamanic approach). Her talk will also include information about the mechanisms of action of ketamine, patient selection, patient preparation, what happens during the ketamine treatment session, working with material that emerges (integration), safety considerations, and adverse reactions. She will end by discussing some of the current controversies and challenges in this burgeoning field, including the recent FDA approval of esketamine for refractory depression.